{"id":392,"date":"2026-03-18T04:55:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T04:55:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/?page_id=392"},"modified":"2026-03-18T04:55:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T04:55:54","slug":"chapter-30-bloody-confrontation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/?page_id=392","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 30 : Bloody Confrontation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201c<\/strong>I pray you to have a long life without a moment of peace!\u201d<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Mullah Shaheen gave an envelope of money to Gulnoor and told her he was leaving for Syria. She looked up in surprise; to be on the run is one thing, but to disappear into another country that was in turmoil was a different matter altogether. She had heard of new groups that were fighting and knew her brother would have to take sides to join the raging battle there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Rebecca had quickly dashed into the next cubicle, where luckily, the patient had fallen asleep. Gulnoor was talking to her brother and seemed upset. Her world had changed and was falling apart; she had no idea what was to become of the family. Syria, kafir, <\/em>ISIS, jihad, <\/em>Rebecca had picked up enough words to know where Shaheen\u2019s next destination was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cGive yourself up, Bhai Jaan<\/em>,\u201d Gulnoor pleaded weakly. \u201cAmmi says they\u2019re after you and won\u2019t give up the chase until you\u2019re dead!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cNever!\u201d he retorted. \u201cI\u2019ll never surrender to the infidels! I\u2019d rather die!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cWe\u2019ve lost everything,\u201d Gulnoor whispered. \u201cI don\u2019t want to lose you too!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cJust concentrate on getting well!\u201d the man ordered. \u201cI\u2019ll get in touch with you as soon as I\u2019m out of the country. I\u2019ll send for you, and we can begin our mission again; have faith!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cRebecca said…,\u201d Gulnoor began, and he stopped her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cThat woman is dead!\u201d he hissed. \u201cForget about that cursed creature; I never want to hear her name mentioned ever again!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cRebecca isn\u2019t dead,\u201d Gulnoor was exhausted and closed her eyes. \u201cShe\u2019s alive and well; she…,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cShe\u2019s hallucinating; evil apparitions are haunting her,\u201d Shaheen thought. \u201cI must leave before the noose around my neck tightens!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               He hurried out and was about to take the stairs when he saw the soldiers waiting for him below. He heard a voice behind him and thought he, too, was hearing a ghost. Turning around, he found himself face to face with Rebecca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cHello, Shaheen,\u201d she snickered, \u201cGoing somewhere?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cYou!\u201d he exclaimed and looked around. Rebecca had never seen him like this. He was tired and unnerved. Rebecca felt like she had defeated him. And surprisingly, instead of her usual anger towards him she felt pity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \u201cYes, me, I\u2019m sure you wish now that you had killed me when you had the chance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cI thought I had killed you! You have led to our downfall, you infidel devil! I\u2019ll get rid of you,\u201d he retorted, and Rebecca saw his hand clasping the knife she knew he kept in his belt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Rebecca was not scared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \u201cNever let hatred towards others change you. They\u2019ll get what they deserve. You must do the right thing.\u201d Rebecca recollected Phil\u2019s wise words when she had been frustrated and besieged with memories of Ron. She felt Ron next to her, fighting the enemy with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cDon\u2019t blame me for your wrong deeds,\u201d Rebecca warned. \u201cYou won\u2019t escape this time; Allah has seen to that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cAnd you won\u2019t live this time! Allah will see to that!\u201d he snarled like a wild beast and came towards her as she held up a chair to protect herself, like a lion tamer trying to divert the animal\u2019s focus.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cShaheen, the Lashkar is behind you, waiting to take you into custody,\u201d Rebecca announced. \u201cYou know this is the end for you; give up!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cThey\u2019ll never take me,\u201d he said and signaled to two men sitting in the waiting area in the corridor. They got up and walked towards him with pistols drawn to cover him. And reassuringly behind them, Rebecca saw the soldiers moving in, focusing on the terrorists, who realized their predicament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Rebecca recognized Abdullah and Qureshi covering Shaheen as he walked towards an open window, abandoning his way towards Rebecca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cCome one step closer, and we\u2019ll shoot the woman!\u201d Abdullah warned the Lashkar, while Qureshi kept his gun aimed at Rebecca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cThere\u2019s still a choice here for you, Shaheen. I can make it work for you. Give yourself up, and you can help Gulnoor,\u201d Rebecca\u2019s words fell on deaf ears as Mullah Shaheen snorted and ignored her until he heard the voice of his sister standing there. She must have yanked the IV from her hand, and Rebecca saw the spots of blood on her elbow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cGive yourself up to the authorities, Bhai,\u201d <\/em>Gulnoor begged with all the strength she could muster. \u201cIt\u2019s the only way you\u2019ll get out alive!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cOnce they catch me, I\u2019ll be dead, and no one will care for my family!\u201d he shouted as he got onto the window ledge, half in and half out of the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cNo, Bhai Jaan<\/em>!\u201d she cried, gasping for breath. \u201cWhat\u2019s running away going to get you? From Afghanistan, we came to Pakistan, and now from Pakistan, you want to run to Syria? Don\u2019t you realize this fighting is leading to the destruction of us all? There are peaceful ways of spreading your message!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cChief Naseer will give you a chance if you surrender!\u201d Rebecca shouted. \u201cIf you think he\u2019s your enemy, think again. Your enemy is you and everything you stand for. Look around you; things are changing. People are looking forward to a better life; people like you stand in their way. Do you think you\u2019re going to find any peace in Syria or anywhere else? Think again!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cYou\u2019re surrounded, Shaheen. Give yourself up!\u201d  Chief Naseer Husain roared. Rebecca saw him climbing up the stairs. \u201cYou have no means of escape. There are Lashkar everywhere,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Rebecca was surprised to see Shaheen hesitate before he turned to leap out. Shots rang out from the soldiers outside the window, and Gulnoor fell into a dead faint. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Distracted by the apparent death of their comrade, Abdullah and Qureshi tried to make a run for it and were gunned down by the soldiers. John Clooney had the men on stretchers and put into an ambulance headed for the police headquarters. Abdullah and Qureshi were pronounced dead by the paramedic in the ambulance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cThis one isn\u2019t dead, sir,\u201d the doctor reported to Clooney, sensing a pulse still on Mullah Shaheen. \u201cDo you wish that he\u2019s kept alive?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cAbsolutely! Do everything to save his wretched life!\u201d Clooney insisted vehemently, as he thought of Ron, \u201cLive, you beast! I pray you to have a long life without a moment of peace!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cI\u2019m afraid he\u2019ll remain a paraplegic if he survives,\u201d informed the doctor. \u201cLooking at the head injuries, I doubt if he\u2019ll retain any normal functions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cKeep him alive!\u201d the chief said coldly. \u201cHe must serve as an example to others who think they can play with the lives of innocent people!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Phil rested his feet on a charpoy and looked at the sky. Tomorrow he would be back in his room in Nancowry, and he looked forward to the quiet, monotonous life there. Those days at Borders seemed so long ago, though it had hardly been a couple of months since they arrived here. Like Marge and Bill Fainey, he was more than ready to leave, though not without a tinge of sadness too. They had seen the best and worst of human nature and were leaving behind some of the finest people they felt privileged to have met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cMove,\u201d barked Rebecca as she hobbled towards him on her crutches and stretched out on the charpoy beside him. Today was his last day with her, too, and he hated to part from her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cCome home with me, Phil,\u201d she asked for the third time today. It felt like a load of tension had lifted from Rebecca, and she was more and more like her old self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cYou go home and mend. I\u2019ll come and see you during my summer break,\u201d promised Phil holding her hand. \u201cI have so much to do at school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cThat\u2019s more than six months away!\u201d she groaned. \u201cI can\u2019t survive that long without seeing you, Phil!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cFrom what I\u2019ve seen, you can survive anything, Becks; you\u2019re invincible!\u201d he grinned and tweaked a strand of her long auburn hair. \u201cHow about if you visit me in Nancowry? After your surgery? Maybe you can teach a course or two; write your book; or do nothing but enjoy the beautiful sun and beach; and my company, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               \u201cHuh, that doesn\u2019t sound bad at all,\u201d she replied warmly. \u201cI might take you up on that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Dinner that night was a bittersweet affair since the visitors would be off early in the morning to catch their flight. Safia had prepared Phil\u2019s favorite dish, and he showed his appreciation by overeating and showering his hostess with compliments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               The men and women sat together as Rafiq and Fiaz-ul-Muhabat tried to keep spirits up, making jokes about the visitors\u2019 first impressions of the country. However, the guests had grown too fond of their hosts to take joy in the parting, and there were a few tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u201cYou\u2019ll be back soon!\u201d Rafiq forecast and Clooney made everyone laugh when he said, \u201cGod forbid!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cI pray you to have a long life without a moment of peace!\u201d                 Mullah Shaheen gave an envelope of money to Gulnoor and told her he was leaving for Syria. She looked up in surprise; to be on the run is one thing, but to disappear into another country that was in turmoil … Continue reading Chapter 30 : Bloody Confrontation<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-392","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=392"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":393,"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/392\/revisions\/393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibhashah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}